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Perrin Aybara
| nationality=Andoran | rank=Lord of the Two Rivers | title=Wolf King | occupation=Blacksmith | affiliation=Wolfbrother | gender=Male | height=1 span, 1 foot, 3 inches | weight=24 stone | hair=Brown | status=Alive | eyes=Yellow / Gold, previously Dark Brown | appeared= | lastappeared= | living=amol }} |}} Perrin Aybara is one of the main protagonists in the series. He is Lord of the Two Rivers,'' ta'veren, and a wolfbrother, as well as husband to the Queen of Saldaea. Appearance and Personality He is stocky, strong, with thick, curly brown hair, and his eyes were a deep, dark brown but have changed and become bright yellow, even golden. This earns him the nickname "Goldeneyes". They glow in the dark, catch the light and often give Perrin a wolfish appearance as well as letting him see much further distances than a normal human being. Perrin has wide shoulders and strong arms gained from his hours working as a blacksmith's apprentice. He is tall, being only half a head shorter than Rand al'Thor. His strength is great enough that he was once able, while running adrenaline, to pull a dead horse off of his wife without any apparent strain on his part. Perrin is typically very gentle and slow to anger. Due to his naturally great strength, he learned while he was still a young boy to restrain himself so as not to inadvertently harm others. This restraint extends to his mindset as well, and he typically says only what he thinks needs to be said and nothing more. He also takes great care before speaking, making sure his thoughts are well formed and complete before opening his mouth. This carefulness, combined with his bear-like stature, often gives others the impression that he is somewhat slow of wit. However, his cautious way of thinking gives him such insight into people and situations that scheming nobles often mistake his straightforward manner for one of extreme craftiness that he has intentionally disguised with a simplistic veneer. He is also an extraordinarily adept tactician. Though he is slow to anger, he can become an implacable foe when roused, and due to his wolfbrother status he often falls into animalistic frenzies in battle. Over time, he learns to better control his strength and power, and learns how to go through life without holding himself back while not harming others. Background Family tree Youth Perrin was trained to be a blacksmith before being forced to leave Emond's Field with Moiraine Damodred and his friends. He is recognized as a ''ta'veren by Moiraine, although he tries to deny himself any importance. Activities Wolfbrother After becoming separated from Moiraine, Perrin and Egwene al'Vere attempt to get to Caemlyn when they meet a man in the woods named Elyas Machera. Elyas is a Wolfbrother, a man who had wolf-like abilities and could speak with them telepathically. He informed Perrin that his wolf companions recognized the latent ability in him as well, and introduced him to the wolf pack, which included Hopper and Dapple. Perrin's wolf name is Young Bull. Communicating with the wolves changed Perrin somewhat. The irises of his eyes are now gold; he can see, hear and smell better than any man, even to the point of smelling the emotions people are feeling. He can communicate in a form of telepathy with other wolves, summoning them to battle, although this is initially unpleasant for him. He can also enter the World of Dreams easily. On a number of occasions, Perrin seems to accept the wolf within himself, using his axe to kill his enemies in what seems to be a ferocious and instinctual manner. When he accepts this side of himself, he is described as a powerful and frightening warrior. Rejoining the Dragon Reborn While following Rand's trail to Tear with Moiraine Damodred, Lan Mandragoran, and the Ogier Loial, he met a man in a small town whose brother was a Wolfbrother. Perrin went to see this man, who had to be locked in a shed and was dangerous to everyone. The man had gone too far with his abilities and forgotten his human side. He acted as if, and believed he was, a wolf. Perrin fears the same fate, although he has so far kept his powers in check. Also on that journey, he met a young Saldaean woman, a Hunter of the Horn, who called herself Faile; in the Old Tongue, this name means "falcon". This bothered Perrin immensely, because of a viewing received by Min Farshaw that he would meet a hawk and falcon, both female, who would 'perch on his shoulders.' He saves Faile in Tel'aran'rhiod when she is caught in a trap set by the Black Ajah that is meant for Moiraine. He finds Faile by entering the Wolf Dream and with the help of Hopper, who was killed in an earlier book by Whitecloaks, and now exists in Tel'aran'rhiod. This also marks the beginning of his romantic relationship with Faile. Back to the Two Rivers Soon after, Perrin decided to investigate rumors that Whitecloaks had been terrorizing the Two Rivers people as a result of their relationship with him and Rand. With Loial, Faile, and his Aiel friends Gaul, Bain and Chiad, they set out to Emond's Field to find Perrin's family dead, and not only Whitecloaks, but Trollocs in the area. He united the Two Rivers region and repelled both forces. Once he began to influence the people living in the Two Rivers region, they began calling him Lord Perrin Goldeneyes, much to his consternation. After his wedding to Faile and subsequent honeymoon, he felt the ta'veren pull, raising an army to help Rand in the Battle of Dumai's Wells. His revulsion at having to do battle with his axe did not stop him from doing his duty, but he has regretted the bloodshed ever since. Under the public pretense of exile, Rand then sent Perrin and his Two Rivers men with Berelain and her Mayeners, the Aiel Wise Ones, Aes Sedai and two Asha'man to find Masema Dagar, the so called Prophet of the Dragon in Ghealdan and bring him to Rand. The task was harder than expected, given the zealous and unstable nature of the Prophet Masema and his cult-like army of followers, and events turned tragic for Perrin when his party was attacked by the rogue Shaido Aiel, and Faile taken captive. The Battle at Malden His wife kidnapped, Perrin develops a single-mindedness in trying to rescue her that sees him completely neglect his wider responsibilities to Rand and the people that follow him. Assembling an army of Two Rivers folk, Ghealdanin, Mayeners and Aiel, he also forges an alliance with the Seanchan through Tylee Khirgan. Facing a force including 300-400 Shaido Wise Ones, he contaminates Malden's water supply with Forkroot to neutralize the channelers among his enemies and circumvent the possibility of another Dumai's Wells. The resulting battle sees only a handful of casualties on his side, whilst the Shaido are broken and most of their Wise Ones collared for damane. But the battle also reveals the depth of Masema's madness and hatred of Perrin; Aram tries to kill Perrin at Masema's behest, and only luck saves Perrin's life at Aram's expense. Masema escapes the battle with a handful of his followers. During this time Perrin finally discards his axe and enters the battle armed with his hammer. After the Maidens with him take some Shaido prisoners they are put to the Question. Perrin wants nothing to do with this and attempts to merely question them instead. He is mocked for this and realizes he will get no answers. In response, and utterly level-headed about it, he shears off one of the Shaido's hands and threatens to remove all their hands and feet and leave them as beggars in a village unless they talk. Not waiting to find out what happens, he leaves and walks off into the forest where he hurls his axe into a tree. Elyas Machera questions whether Perrin did this because he liked what he had done to the Shaido, but Perrin tells him it's because of his fears. He feels alive in battle and is terrified that he may come to feel the same about using the axe in other situations, something he cannot allow. After the battle at Malden, Perrin realizes how he has failed the people following him. He starts to enter the wolf dream more often in an attempt to learn what he needs. He reaches out to Hopper to help teach him, but Hopper refuses until Perrin starts to think first before leaping. Whitecloaks and Slayer Following Faile's rescue, Perrin's army begins to make its way through Ghealdan. There they come across an area all infected by the Blight. Perrin orders the Wise One's to burn it. He then holds a meeting to decide what to do with all the refugees. He sends a group to Cairhien to look for Rand. He also tells Wil to burn all the wolfhead banners and gets in trouble with Morgase Trakand when he tries to marry her to Martyn Tallanvor. He then encounters the Children of the Light, led by Galad Damodred. The Whitecloaks demand a battle, due to Perrin's murder of two Children two years prior and the accusation of being a Shadowspawn. Perrin wishes to avoid battle and convinces Galad to give him a fair trial, judged by Queen Morgase, who he finds out has being posing as Maighdin. At the trial, which is solely judging Perrin's guilt of the deaths of those two Children, Morgase deems him innocent of murder, but guilty of killing illegally, as the Whitecloaks were acting as a mercenary group in Andor, illegally. The sentence is given to Galad to decide, but Galad holds off on announcing it, agreeing to let Perrin fight at Tarmon Gaiden before accepting it. Meanwhile, Perrin had been training with Hopper in the Wolf Dream, which he finds out is actually the world of dreams for everyone. During this time, Perrin learns to control the dream while also finding the balance between himself and the wolf inside of him. In one training session, Perrin leads a group of wolves on the hunt of a white stag. As Perrin goes in for the kill he is knocked away by Hopper, who informs him that if he kills it here, it will die the last death. During another training session, Hopper takes Perrin to Caemlyn in the wolf dream. There he shows Perrin the nightmares of the humans who dream in that place and how Perrin can use these as a tactic to use against Slayer. Then they both shift to Dragonmount where all the other wolves have gathered. Perrin continues to travel to the pinnacle where he finds Rand struggling against the Dark Ones influence. He witnesses a dark essence just about to take over Rand before he has his epiphany and brakes free, creating a gap in the gathered storm clouds above. Perrin and Hopper discover that Slayer has created a large, purple dome around Perrin's camp, visible only in the dream world, which is preventing them from Traveling in the real world. Perrin confronts Slayer and finds the device creating the barrier - a Dreamspike ter'angreal. Perrin takes the spike and begins fleeing with, removing the barrier from around the camp and letting his army Travel again. With Slayer in close pursuit of Perrin, he takes the confrontation to Tar Valon. It is here where Perrin and Slayer engage in an intense game of cat-and-mouse. Slayer manages to seize the Dreamspike from Perrin. Perrin accidentally stumbles on the battle between Egwene and her allies and the Black Ajah inside Tel'aran'riod. Egwene tries, and fails, to bind Perrin in chains for his own safety. He breaks through with ease, noting the difference in strength between them in the World of Dreams. Perrin then saves Egwene from a balefire attack, much to her bewilderment, and resumes the fight with Slayer. Slayer shoots Hopper with an arrow, dealing a killing blow. Enraged, Perrin knocks Slayer into a nightmare coming from the White Tower, where Perrin is more skilled due to his training with Hopper. Perrin manages to steal the Dreamspike back, stabbing Slayer, and throwing the ter'angreal into a rift of lava, destroying the item for good. Perrin then flees after a painful final parting with Hopper. After he awakens, Perrin's army Travels away from the proximity of the Whitecloak army. In order to ease his own mind and distract him, Perrin begins working in the forge. Neald keeps the metal hot with saidin while he works, and Perrin comes to realize that he has the responsibility to lead these people, whether he ever wanted to or not. When he's done forging, he finds that he's created a large battle hammer and that Neald had used saidin to align the matrix, creating the first power-wrought weapon in centuries, which Perrin names Mah'alleinir. This fulfills the Prophecy of the Wolf King. Perrin realizes that the barrier created by Slayer was a trap to make his army vulnerable to a Trolloc attack, which is about to let loose on Galad's Whitecloaks. Perrin Travels his forces back to the Whiteclock camp just in time to help them confront the Shadowspawn army. Despite many of the Childrens' suspicions that his rescue was a setup, the two armies work together to defeat the Trollocs. Galad realizes that he'd been misled about Perrin and announces his sentence. Perrin must pay 500 crowns to the families of the two Children he killed and has to fight with all of his might at the Last Battle. Immediately following this proclamation, Perrin is almost killed by Child Byar, who would have struck him down from behind. He is intercepted by Dain Bornhald, who kills Byar instead. Following the battle, Perrin allies with the Whitecloaks and they Travel to Andor, first marrying Morgase to Tallanvor. Faile and Perrin then make their way to the palace in Caemlyn to confront Elayne Trakand about their Lordship of the Two Rivers. They are able to convince Elayne that it is in her best interest to allow them to be nobles of the Two Rivers. Elayne declares that Perrin will be the Steward of the Dragon for the Two Rivers so they will have an excuse for the political advantage they will have. After being months apart, Perrin finally catches up with Mat and Thom again in The Happy Throng in Caemlyn. There they discuss the feats they have carried out and the respective wives they have married. Mat tells Perrin about possible assassination attempts and to try not to sleep in the same tent every night. Mat then discusses his plan to rescue Moiraine from the Tower of Ghenjei. Perrin sees Mat off on his quest before finally preparing for the Last Battle. With the Children of the Light, the Queen Alliandre's Ghealdaners, Berelain's Mayeners, the Two Rivers forces, and all others that he has gathered, Perrin marches them to the Field of Merrilor. Hopper's last sending to Perrin before he died was to seek out Boundless. Perrin finally decides to seek him out in the wolf dream and finds that he has always known him. As it turns out, Noam did in fact live after being set free and he became the wolf known as Boundless in the wolf dream. Noam sends him images of his life all containing a great deal of pain and suffering. However, as a wolf, Boundless was indeed more free, no longer having to live with the hardships of the life he left behind. Realizing that this is Noam's balance and that Perrin has worked out his own balance to the wolf inside him, he can finally let go of the fear of losing himself to the wolf. The Last Battle The Dragon's Peace After being months apart, Perrin and Rand finally catch up with each other at the Field of Merrilor. Perrin lends Balwer to Rand, and they go visit him. Balwer reports that all the monarchs of the world will be present at Rand's meeting on the morrow. At the Field of Merrilor, after the Aiel demand to be included in the The Dragon's Peace, he suggests to Rand that the Aiel are like tools that need to be useful. He tells Rand that they can be charged with settling disputes between nations after he's gone, giving them a purpose after they meet their toh. The Horn of Valere Elayne tries to get Perrin to run the supply shipments for the Last Battle, but he refuses, suggesting that his wife can handle the job. Elayne confesses that the true nature of his command will be to deliver the Horn to Mat under the guise of delivering supplies. He still refuses, and Faile is charged with keeping the Horn safe. In The Flesh Perrin asks a Wise One how to enter the Wolf Dream in the flesh. He knows that Rand needs his help and fears that Slayer may try to stop the Dragon in the Wolf Dream. He also knows that the Black Tower is caught in the same trap that he experienced and fears that Slayer may be guarding the Dreamspike, trapping the Asha'man. Perrin then travels to the Black tower to locate and takeover the Dreamspike placed there, so he can draw Slayer out. Instead he meets Moonhunter (Lanfear), and though he knows who she is, and tells her, she helps him several times, even explaining how to operate the Dreamspike. The Black Tower Shayol Ghul After being nearly killed by Slayer in the Wolf Dream, Perrin escaped from the Wolf Dream and fell on the Field of Merrilor. He was saved by Master Luhhan and brought to the healing camp at Berelain's palace at Mayene. He missed the battle at the Fields of Merrilor, because he was too strained from being in the wolf dream too long and from his wounds he received from Slayer. When he woke up, he insisted of his fatigue to be washed away, but no Aes Sedai would do it, except Masuri. She washed away his fatigue and he entered the wolf dream once again to hunt Slayer, but not before he had a heart to heart with Master Luhhan who told Perrin to let all his anger out and don't hold back. Upon finding Slayer in the wolf dream, at Shayol Ghul, he started the fight strong, and continued that way throughout the fight. Slayer escaped to the waking world, but did not anticipated Perrin to be able to do the same. After a rather short fight, Perrin was able to kill Slayer. After killing Slayer he saw that the fight at Shayol Ghul was going poorly and decided to guard the way up to the Pit of Doom with a handful of Aiel. Upon arriving there, he and the defenses were soon cornered by Darkhounds. That's when he heard the sound of the Horn being blown, which did not only resurrect the Heroes, but also the wolf Heroes on the battlefield. After killing several Darkhounds, with his newly power-wrought hammer Mah'alleinir, Mat joined his side, whom gave him the warning that Padan Fain was on the battlefield and somehow brought the mist of Mashadar with him, after Mat said this, Mat was taken by the mist, which was a trap for Fain, for Mat, who already had been in touch with Mashadar could not be killed by it. Perrin shifts to the wolf dream to find Gaul, who was wounded by Slayer, to bring him back to the Aes Sedai at the Field of Merrilor. He returns to Shayol Ghul again, to protect Rand in his fight in the Pit of Doom. Upon arriving at the Pit, he comes across Lanfear and both of them go into the Pit to where Rand, Nynaeve, Moiraine and Moridin are. Lanfear then gives Perrin the order to kill Moiraine, as she had woven a weave of Compulsion over him when they first met in the wolf dream. Even though he was under Compulsion, he could not do it, since killing Moiraine would end the battle with the Dark One and that would mean Faile would be killed. His love for Faile cancelled out the Compulsion and he then killed Lanfear by snapping her neck. Faile Once the battle ends, he begins searching for Faile in the wolf dream, jumping from place to place, looking for clues. He hears, then sees a small falcon that is injured, and when he jumps out of the dream, he finds Faile under a dead Trolloc. She is barely clinging to life but he grabs her and again shifts into the wolf dream, taking Faile with him back to Merrilor for healing, where she recovers. It is unknown if Perrin is aware his wife is now the new Queen of Saldea, following the death of Tenobia and her father, Davram Bashere. Character development Perrin, like Rand and Mat, has found himself in ever-increasing positions of authority. In the Two Rivers, he stepped up because he simply knew what to do; but his people wanted a leader, and he became it. His obvious favor with the Lord Dragon and stout-hearted common sense have since won the respect of many. The addition of Sebban Balwer, Pedron Niall's former spymaster, to the ranks of his servants has aided his situational awareness and decision-making greatly. Perrin prides himself on always thinking carefully about difficult situations, attempting to see them from multiple angles in order to seek out possible solutions. This means that he takes longer to make important decisions than the other characters, but he is usually better-off for it. Perrin is under the erroneous impression that his quiet and careful thinking causes people to believe he is slow of wits, when in fact the opposite is true. Both Rand and Mat believe that Perrin is more intelligent than they are, especially with women, and often will mentally compare themselves to him (Perrin in turn does the same with both of them). Faile also finds it nearly impossible to keep secrets from him, as he constantly thinks everything she says through, and can usually tell when she is lying directly. Perrin's upbringing in the Two Rivers imparts him a certain view of the world. For example, like Rand and Mat, he believes that all women should be treated gently and politely. This becomes challenging in his relationship with Faile, and the attempts of Berelain to seduce him. Faile is used to Saldaean couples frequently yelling at each other, and ignoring those they wish to scorn. This causes her to be infuriated when Perrin refuses to get angry with her, and rages against Berelain for her attempted seductions. Perrin is utterly confused by these cultural differences, and it takes advice from Elyas to convince him to alter his behavior with Faile so that they might be more like a Saldaean couple. He is the first one of the three men to be married (though Faile remains childless), but, on the whole, he is the one who has changed the least: he still maintained a strong connection with the Two Rivers and still considers himself a blacksmith at heart. Toward the beginning of the series, Perrin believed that Faile could not possibly love him because he was both half wolf and, maybe worse, half blacksmith. Aside from leading some of his childhood friends to their deaths and keeping Rand sane and humane, one of his greatest challenges is fending off Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron, the seductive leader of the city-state of Mayene who has set her sights on him. She is forward enough to embarrass him, he is too polite to simply turn her down effectively, and Faile looks on with jealousy and frustration at her husband's apparent humoring of this interloper. Rand, oblivious to this, persists in flinging the three together on various assignments. Shortly before the Last Battle begins, Perrin finally realizes his responsibility as a leader, and that no matter how much he rejects his position, people will follow him. Continuing to deny his role would do nothing but make his followers weaker, rather than driving them away, and so Perrin accepts them. The Axe and the Hammer }} The night Perrin left the Two Rivers, he received his signature weapon: a moon-bladed hand axe Master Luhhan had crafted for a Merchant Guard who then would not pay for it. He has acquitted himself well with it, using muscles well-accustomed to swinging ten pounds of steel. In Tear, however, just before Rand took the Stone, Perrin stopped for an unplanned night's work at a Tairen forge, and in payment (and gratitude) the blacksmith gave him the hammer he had used. These signature implements perfectly encapsulate Perrin Aybara, a man of peace forced to lead his people to war. Perrin prefers the hammer; he prefers the creative, constructive aspects of blacksmithing, and hates the axe's capacity for bloodshed. Not long after meeting Elyas Machera, he asked if he should throw the axe away, but Elyas told him only to do so once he found himself enjoying its use. Perrin never has; when he eventually discarded it, just before meeting with the Seanchan, it was because he was disgusted with himself for what he was willing to do with it (chopping off the Shaido's hand and threatening to do the same every hour). Without the axe, it appears that finally Perrin is fulfilling a part of the Karaethon Cycle. Though he doubts that it refers to him, it names him as the Wolf King. However, later on, Perrin begins doubting the hammer as well after Hopper remarks that he uses the hammer for killing anyway, like he did with the axe. After a great deal of contemplation, Perrin realizes the difference - the axe can only be used for killing while the hammer has the capacity to either kill or create. Finally, Perrin forges a power-wrought hammer with Neald and leaves his old hammer behind. He feels sorry to leave behind the blacksmith's hammer, but he knows that he is no longer a blacksmith and that now he wields the hammer of a king. Viewings *A wolf. (Refers to Perrin being able to talk to wolves) *A broken crown. (Refers to Perrin's new-found association with the ruling family of Saldaea, as the crown of Saldaea is also known as the broken crown) *Trees flowering all around him. (May refer to the deaths of his family, and their burial in an orchard) *An Aielman in a cage. (Refers to Perrin freeing Gaul from the cage) *A Tuatha'an with a sword. (Refers to Aram the Tinker picking up and using a sword) *A falcon and hawk on each shoulder, both female. (Refers to Faile (falcon) and Berelain (hawk) showing interest in Perrin) *Perrin will have to be there twice for Rand, or Rand will die. (First time he saves Rand is when he leads a force to the Battle of Dumai's Wells, second time is during Tarmon Gai'don, when he kills Lanfear as she attempts to kill Rand at the Bore.) References and similarities To Perun *Perrin appears to be mostly based on the Slavic god Perun. *Perun is associated with weapons of stone and metal. Perrin is a blacksmith. *Perun was often accompanied by wolves, and sometimes sent them to do battle for him. Perrin can speak to wolves, and has asked them to join him in battle. *Perun was a god for the common man. Perrin, a common man if ever there was one, became a leader and lord only because his people made him one. *Perun's weapons were the axe, the hammer, and the arrow. Perrin's weapon is his half-moon axe, which he later discards for his blacksmith hammer, and, like most people in the Two Rivers, he is skilled with a longbow. *Perun is associated with the bellow of the bull. Perrin's wolf name is Young Bull. *Perun's name, in Christianized versions of the Slavic mythology, is usually replaced with St. Elias. Elyas Machera, like Perrin, can speak with wolves. *Perun's eye was the sun. Perrin's eyes, like the sun, are yellow. *Perun had a deep connection with apples, which he used to call his most devastating weapon, ball lightning. Perrin's slain family was buried in an apple orchard, and its while sitting under the apple trees that Perrin finds the rage he needs to wage war. *Perun is described as a rugged man with a copper beard, and Faile talks Perrin into growing a beard because "it suits him". To Thor *Perrin is also largely based on the Norse god Thor. *Thor is a god of justice favored by the common man, unlike the aristocratically inclined war god Odin. Perrin is elevated to lordship despite constant protests that he is merely a blacksmith. *Thor wielded a hammer and forged lightning. Like Thor, Perrin uses a hammer both in battle and in craftsmanship. *Thor played a small role in the adventure that resulted in Odin's eight-legged horse Sleipnir. Perrin has two favorite horses (for a total of eight legs) named Stayer and Stepper. *Thor carried the legendary hammer Mjolnir, Perrin's Power-wrought hammer is called Mah'alleinir. To Aatxe *Perrin is also based, to a lesser extent, on the Basque folk character Aatxe. The name translates as "Young Bull", Perrin's wolf name. *Aatxe is a shape shifter that can appear as a bull or human. He attacks criminals and other malevolent people, and also protects people by making them stay home when danger is near. Miscellaneous *Perrin was a main character in the beginning of the series, but dropped off the radar completely for The Fires of Heaven (later, each of the three ta'veren would do so: Mat in The Path of Daggers and Rand in most of Crossroads of Twilight). *Interestingly, Perrin's abilities within Tel'aran'rhiod seem to surpass those of Egwene's due to the training he received from Hopper. Egwene witnesses Perrin do things in Tel'aran'rhiod that she previously assumed were impossible. However, Brandon Sanderson had this to say on Twitter: "Also, Egwene was caught off guard and had been spending a lot of time lately doing other things. It would be unwise to assume that Perrin is better at Tel'aran'rhiod than she is because of that moment. He had just spent weeks training...specifically to fight like that in Tel'aran'rhiod, while Egwene has been forced to fight other fights and let herself get a tad rusty." es:Perrin Aybara it:Perrin Aybara Category:Ta'veren Category:Wolfbrothers Category:Lords Category:Two Rivers (people) Category:Dreamwalkers Category:Stewards of the Dragon